Adapted from the novel "The Green Hat", I would have retitled it "Two Gallant Ladies and The Men Who Messed Everything Up". However, even that doesn't do it justice. This is almost a feminist film. Garbo is one of the two of the last "Mad Merricks", not much more is said about the family name except that Diana is independently wealthy and somewhat reckless. In the opening scene she is driving her car wildly through the countryside with her first and only true love, Neville Holderness (John Gilbert), as a passenger. They have been in love since childhood and want to marry. However, Neville's dad, Sir Morton, does not want this marriage. No valid reason is given other than perhaps he does not want the pitter patter of little mad Merricks to end up being his heirs.
Neville has no money in his own name, so his dad uses this fact to get Neville to agree to take a job in Egypt, before he marries Diana, so that he can earn some money and start a career. Dad just wants to separate the pair on the hope that they will forget about one another. Diana sees through the ruse, and Neville doesn't even bother to say a last goodbye -again, dad's idea. Complications, heartache, and tragedy ensue.
The reason I say this is almost a feminist film is because the only two women in the film - Diana and Constance (Dorothy Sebastian) are the only virtuous people in the entire cast. Hugh (Lewis Stone), long time family friend of the Merricks, comes close, but near the end breaks a trust in doing what he thinks is a good deed. Jeffry, Diana's brother, is an alcoholic, Neville is ultimately a coward, his dad is a snob, and David Furness, who has always loved Diana and been Jeffry's hero since childhood, has his problems too. Problems so bad that Diana ruins her reputation in order to keep them secret so that the image that her brother Jeffry has of him can stay intact. In this way, she is a gallant lady. As for Constance, she is the girl of whom Neville's dad approves, so Neville marries her like the obedient son that he is. However, Constance is wise. She can see Neville and Diana are still in love, and does not blame either of them for something they cannot help. Thus she is also a gallant lady.
I'll let you watch and see how this all works out. I think it is Garbo's best silent film. She gives a strong performance in a film with a good plot and a good cast surrounding her, and as always, her chemistry with Gilbert is wonderful. Highly recommended.
